


We've Been Here Before, Don't Drag Me Through This Again

by tiniestmite



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [9]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Arguing, Bad Things Happen Bingo, Injury, Light Angst, M/M, Some Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:28:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28170915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiniestmite/pseuds/tiniestmite
Summary: Carlos invites TK over and plans to surprise him with some Christmas tree decorating as an activity for them to do. But when TK cancels, Carlos ends up doing some of it on his own... it doesn’t end well.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1984406
Comments: 16
Kudos: 114
Collections: Bad Things Happen Bingo, Twelve Days of Tarlos 2020





	We've Been Here Before, Don't Drag Me Through This Again

**Author's Note:**

> Written for day 6 of 12 days of Tarlos and for the "parting words regret" square on my bthb card!
> 
> Beta'd by [Jillian](https://brilliantbanshee.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Title from "All We Ever Knew" by The Head and the Heart

“TK, come on. You promised you would come over tonight,” Carlos sighs into the phone. They had been talking in circles for what seems like hours but a quick glance at the call time would indicate only a few minutes had passed.

_“I said I was sorry, Carlos. You know how short-staffed the firehouse is right now with everyone trying to get off for the holidays. So what if I had to pick up an extra shift tonight? I can just come over tomorrow.”_

“But, you said you would come over tonight.”

TK sighs on the other end. Carlos doesn’t mean to be so needy, honestly. It’s just that he had the perfect night planned for them. He had already cooked dinner and set the table for them to eat. 

But that wasn’t the main reason he wanted TK to come over. 

That reason would be the 8 foot tall Christmas tree currently standing in his living room, completely bare and just waiting to be decorated. When Carlos picked out the tree this afternoon, he knew it would be the perfect surprise activity for him and TK to do together. In fact, he had visions of the two of them dancing to “All I Want for Christmas” as they carefully selected the perfect spot for each ornament. 

Logically, he knows that there’s no harm in just doing it tomorrow night. But he feels frustrated that TK didn’t even take into consideration that they had made plans for tonight. Though of course, he can’t fault the other man for not knowing why tonight was going to be special. That doesn’t stop the hurt he feels as TK explains again why it’s no big deal for him to just come over tomorrow.

“Okay, whatever, TK. I don’t really want to talk about it anymore.”

_“Carlos, come on…”_

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” he hangs up before TK can get another word in.

Groaning as he slides his phone back into his pocket, Carlos glances over at the dinner he spent far too much time preparing and was now probably too cold to even eat. 

Yes, their fight was petty. Carlos is well aware of that and he already regrets how they ended the call. But he can’t help the disappointment that washes over him thinking about how they are unable to spend the night together. Not that he wants to be clingy, but with both of their hectic jobs, there’s been far too many reschedules for his liking. 

But they will get through this. They always do. 

And for now, Carlos can still make the most of tonight, right?

He figures he could at least get a head start on decorating the tree. As much as he wants to wait for TK, the idea of looking at a completely bare tree for another 24 hours is just too sad. Plus, TK will still be surprised when he does come over, and Carlos can leave some ornaments to place on the tree, including one special one he had picked out just for them to commemorate their first holiday together; a ceramic ornament of two snowmen with a rainbow heart that reads “Our First Christmas Together.”

Pulling out the box of decorations, Carlos begins the careful task of placing each ornament on the tree. He starts with a few non-sentimental ones; ornaments that his mom made him take with him when he moved out of the house and other basic filler ornaments that he’s not even sure where they came from.

When he finishes up with those, he decides the tree just needs one more final touch. Pulling out another box, Carlos opens it and takes out a shiny silver star to be placed on the top of the tree. 

He sighs, looking up towards the tip of the tree. Carlos would not consider himself short by any standard. However, even if he stands on his tippy-toes he knows he still would not be able to reach the top, or at least without risk of the entire tree toppling over.

Looking around the room, he knows the most logical choice would be to bring over one of the kitchen chairs. _But there has to be an easier option, right?_

He continues to scan his surroundings until his eyes fall on the couch to the left of the tree. While it may not be the most practical option, standing on the armrest that’s less than a foot away from the tree would do the trick. 

Without another thought, climbs up on the couch cushion with the star in hand before stepping up again onto the slim armrest. 

As soon as he’s up there, he realizes the couch is actually a little further away than he thought. But he shrugs it off and leans over into the tree to carefully sit the star on top. 

Just as Carlos thinks he achieves his goal of the star's placement, he feels himself abruptly slipping off the armrest. He tries his best to land on his feet but the momentum is too great and his right ankle gives out from underneath him with a sharp crack.

_Shit._

He winces as he shifts up to a seated position, trying not to move his ankle too much. His hands ghost over the already swollen area. The dull ache gives him a little hope that maybe, just maybe it’s not _that_ bad. 

He attempts to stand but quickly sits back down when the ache turns into an intense pain shooting up his leg as soon as he puts weight on his ankle. 

_Okay, so it is that bad._

He groans, going through all the possible ways he can get out of this embarrassing situation. Of course, his initial thought of just “walking it off” is not an option. That only leaves calling someone for help.

Had he not just chewed out TK for canceling on him again, his boyfriend would be the obvious choice. However, Carlos is not quite sure he’s ready to own up to his pettiness yet. 

He could always just call 9-1-1. Though with his close proximity to the 126, the odds of TK showing up at his house anyway are high. 

Knowing what the right answer is, he pulls out his phone and takes a deep breath before pressing the call button on TK’s contact. 

_“Hello?”_

Carlos lets out a sigh of relief he didn’t realize he had been holding in when TK picks up after only a few rings. 

“Hi,” he says, quickly trying to string together the right words to explain his reason for reaching out so soon after their fight. “I’m sorry for calling you…”

_“It’s fine, Carlos. What’s up?”_

He tries not to let the coldness in TK’s voice get to him too much. “TK, I’m really sorry for giving you a hard time earlier.”

_“I know.”_

“I was just really looking forward to spending time with you tonight,” he explains. “I hate how we haven’t been spending that much time together lately. And with the holidays coming up... I just miss you.”

_“I know,”_ TK repeats, sighing audibly into the phone. _“I feel the same way, Carlos. I know this sucks, and I was really looking forward to spending tonight with you too.”_

“You were?”

_“Of course! Tonight would have been a lot of fun but at least we can get together tomorrow. I will make it extra special, I promise.”_

Carlos smiles. How did he get so lucky to have a boyfriend this amazing?

_“So you really just called me to apologize not even an hour after we last spoke?”_

“Uh… no, actually,” Carlos stutters out. Between his sweet makeup with TK and the intense pain settling into a dull ache, he had nearly forgotten the real reason he had to contact TK. “I need your help.”

_“Okay…”_

“I think I may have broken my ankle.”

_“Carlos! What the hell, that’s something you lead with!”_

Carlos smiles sheepishly as his boyfriend goes off on him for not telling him sooner. He hears TK huff before saying “ _I’ll be right there.”_

“Thank you,” he replies before hanging up the phone.

* * *

“You know, I would think balancing on top of the armrest in order to reach the top of the Christmas tree would be something I would do. Aren’t you supposed to be the smart one in the relationship?” TK teases as he holds the door open for Carlos.

Carlos gives him the side eye as he hobbles in the door on his silver crutches, right ankle now fully encased in a light blue cast.

He makes his way over to the sofa, which he now considers his worst-enemy, and all but collapses onto the soft cushions.

TK follows closely behind, but stays standing, stopping in front of the half-decorated tree. “It looks good. What you were able to get done, at least.”

Carlos gives TK a small smile, watching him closely examine each ornament. When he came to Carlos’ rescue just a few hours earlier, he had been far too concerned with the other man’s injury to take in what was supposed to be a surprise.

“It would look better if we had decorated it together.”

TK turns around at Carlos’ remark. “Where are the rest of the ornaments?”

Carlos gestures to the open box on the floor a few feet away. TK smiles and walks over to the box, grabbing a few ornaments, and moves back over to the tree.

“You don’t have to do that,” Carlos tries to insist but TK cuts him off with a shake of his head.

“You decorated half. It’s only fair that I do the other half. Do you want these in any specific spot?”

“Anywhere there’s an open spot is fine,” he smiles, trying to hide the giddiness of observing his boyfriend decorate their tree; the way he purses his lips as he searches for the perfect spot and smiles when he finds it. 

When TK finishes with the first few ornaments, he moves back over to the box to grab the next batch. 

“Actually, there is one ornament that has a special spot on the tree,” Carlos mentions, catching TK’s attention before he can pick out another ornament. “You see that unopened white box? That one needs to go front and center on the tree.”

“Okay,” TK nods, clutching the box and opening it as he walks back over to the tree. When he pulls out the snowmen ornament a smile breaks out on his face and he looks over to Carlos. “Did you buy this just for us?”

Carlos returns the smile. “Yeah, I know it’s kind of dorky… I just wanted something special to commemorate the occasion.”

“This is the farthest thing from dorky,” TK shakes his head. “I love this, Carlos. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

TK comes over, pressing a soft kiss on Carlos’ lips before moving back over to the tree and placing their special ornament front and center on the tree.

This may be their first Christmas together, but something tells Carlos that it will be the first of many.

**Author's Note:**

> I have two more fics coming over the next few days for this event! 
> 
> Comments and kudos make my world 💕


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